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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bat · nail · bound · bore · can · spell · kick · degree

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. can — a tin
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — tied together
  8. can — a tin
  9. bore — to tire
  10. degree — from a university
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. degree — temperature
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. spell — magic
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bat — the animal
  21. spell — a short time
  22. degree — an amount
  23. bore — to drill
  24. spell — letters

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com